The ESP8266 module has exploded onto the maker scene in the last year or so, and with good reason considering its capabilities. Its tiny size, 80 MHz (or 160 if overclocked) processor, and built-in WiFi makes an incredibly capable core for maker projects, but what if you need a battery? There are certainly ways to add one, but the ESPlocalizer takes care of this for you including built-in battery charging capability.
The board is manufactured with a charger and connector for the type of battery that you might see powering a little Hubsan X4 quadcopter (not included). As seen in the video below, with a battery hooked up, you can plug your board into a computer’s USB port for charging, and unplug it without the ESP8266 module skipping a beat. This nice touch means it can also serve as a battery backup in case of power outage.
In addition to its battery capability, the board has an inertial measurement unit (IMU) built-in, as well as a barometer, in case you’d like to, for instance, track your elevation or predict upcoming weather. Finally, all the ESP’s IO pins are broken out, which could be extremely useful for whatever project you (now) have in mind!
